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The object of this game is to throw dodgeballs to knock over opposing team’s castles while simultaneously protecting your own team’s castle from being hit.

Separate class into four teams.

Divide the gym space into fourths, giving each team a quadrant to defend.

Provide each team with six hula hoops and have them create their team castle.

Build the castle by placing one hoop flat on the floor. Balance four hoops vertically and lean them toward the center. Secure the four hoops with the sixth hoop horizontally on top.

Place soft dodgeballs into the center of the quadrants for teams to collect.

The game begins when the music plays!

Agility: Students will run back and forth in their quadrant keeping their eyes on dodgeballs threatening their castle.

Coordination: Students will collect dodgeballs and throw them at opposing team’s castles. They will build hand-eye coordination by throwing and catching dodgeballs.

Balance: Students will take turns being in charge of rebuilding their team’s hula hoop castle. Rebuilding the castle will require patience, balance, and focus before the students switch back to defense mode.

Variations: You can play Castle Ball with designated offense and defense, assigning who will be throwing and who will be guarding and rebuilding the castle OR allowing all students to play all roles during game play.

Students that are chosen as taggers (Jack Frost) may tag or throw the stuffed animal or ball.

When a student is tagged they are immediately frozen and they stand perfectly straight up and down

Students have one way to avoid being tagged. They can do three very slow jumping jacks to simulate a standing snow angel. After 3 seconds they must continue moving and trying not to be tagged by jack frost.

The three “heat meisters” carry a hula hoop which is the defroster for this game.

They must put the hoop over and down over the frozen player to defrost them.

The game continues for about 2 minutes, then new taggers and “heat meisters” are chosen.

Students are tagged with a two finger (peace sign) tag on someone’s knees.

If someone is tagged in this game; make themselves as big as they can by spreading legs and stretching out hands.These are the protocols for a bear sighting in the woods near Spencer Butte. Remain standing in this frozen position until saved by a classmate.

To be saved from a frozen state, classmates will give them a high five to get back in the game.

Students have one way to avoid being tagged. They are safe in in this game when they are pivoting on one foot. Students may do this for three turns, then they can move again.

Select three people to be the octopuses (octopi). They stand on the center line to be the taggers. They will will try to tag people using the two-finger peace tag on the upper back of their classmates.

The rest of the class are crabs (octopus prey) and stands on one of the lines at one end of the gym, facing the octopi.

Guidelines:

The game starts when the teacher starts the music.

The octopi are allowed to run anywhere in the gym and use their tentacles (hands) to tag others.

When someone is tagged by an octopus, they become seaweed and their feet attach to the ocean floor. Their arms are outstretched and they wave in the air as they attempt to tag people when they run by them.

After most of the crabs have made it to the other side the music is stopped. The students that are running turn around and face the wall they came from.

The teacher restarts the music and the crabs attempt to run back to their original starting line.

Play continues in this manner until most of the players have had a turn.

Anytime an octopus gets tired they may switch with one of the seaweed.

The game is over when most of the crabs have been turned into seaweed.

Everyone else spreads themselves out with both feet on a line on the gym floor.

Guidelines:

Four to six students are the ghosts and they can move anywhere in the gym and try to tag the Pac-people. If you have the class divided into six groups, then you can have students from one group at a time be the taggers.

The pac-people can only move while they are on the lines on the floor. For gym floors that do not have a lot of lines, you may need to allow some jumping from one line to another.

When one of the pac-people are tagged by a ghost, they stop and balance on one foot and raise their hand in the air.

To be freed from this frozen position, one of their fellow pac-people will give them a high five. They can now return to the game.

This game is from the Project Adventure Curriculum. Check out their website: http://www.pa.org/

Setup and Equipment:

Pail

Whiffle golf balls (simulated popcorn)

Break the class in half. 1/2 = bouncers, 1/2=chasers. With four color teams: 2 teams are bouncers and two are chasers

Rules:

The game is set up in the center circle in the gym. An empty pail is set up in the center (absolute) of the circle. The “bouncers” sit on the black line that circles around the pail (about three feet from the pail).

The job of the “bouncers” is to sit on the center circle line in the gym and attempt to bounce the balls into the bucket. The attempt works best with one bounce. However, with younger students (K,1,2) you will probably need to make an exception to this rule.

The job of the chasers is to retrieve the balls that the teacher throws into the air and roll them to their classmates who are the “bouncers”. Chasers are not allowed to bounce balls into the bucket.

The game begins when all of the chasers circle around the teacher who has a full bucket of golf whiffle balls which are thrown at once high up into the air. (Note: A surprising number of students will like to stand close and have these balls land on their heads!)

Chasers may not run with the balls, but must roll them to their classmates in the center circle.

The teacher will time this activity.

When the last ball is bounced into the empty bucket, the time is stopped and now the class should change “jobs”.

The bouncers are now the chasers and vice versa.

The teacher will start this game in the same manner as before and time it again

Many elementary schools have climbing walls that are not higher than eight feet. These “traversing walls” can be used in this game.

Open part or all of the climbing wall, so students have the room to climb up and down.

Emphasize climbing up and down the wall.

Guidelines:

Everyone is “it” to start the game.

Students may tag each other by using the a two-finger (peace) tag on the back of their classmates.

Three Second Standing Base: Players are immune from being tagged if they are standing and balancing on one foot. They can only do this for three seconds. Then, they have to move around the gym before they stand and balance on one foot again.

When a student is tagged they go to the wall and climb up and tap their hand above the highest handhold.

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